Wire-fence stretcher.



W. A. MEDLIN.

WIRE FENCE STRETOHER.

APPLICATION FILED APR.17, 1913.

1,069,892, Patented Aug212, 1913.

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W. A. MEDLIN.

WIRE FENCE STRETGHER.

APPLICATION FILED APILH, 1913.

1,069,892. Patented Aug". 12, 1913.

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WILLIAM A.

MEDLIN, 0F RIPLEY, MISSISSIPPI.

WIRE-FENCE STRETCI-IER.

Application filed April 17, 1913.

To all whom 2'15 may concern Be it known that I, WVILLIAM A. MEDLIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Ripley, in the county of Tippah and State of Mississippi, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in \Vire-Fence Stretchers; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertain's to make and use the same.

This invention-relates to improvements in stretchers for wire fences.

One object of the invention is to provide a stretcher of this character having animproved fence or wire clamping and stretching mechanism, the construction and arrangement of which is such that the greater the pressure applied tiereto for stretching the wires of the fence, the more tightly the wires willbe gripped or, in other words, the gripping action of the device is proportionate to the stretching action thereof, thus obviating any danger of the stretcher slipping on the fence while stretching the latter.

Another object is to provide a wire fence stretcher which will be simple, strong, durable and inexpensive in construction, efficient and reliable in operation and which, when applied to a fence will gripthe same across the entire width thereof,'so that when operated will uniformly stretch all parts of the fence.

\Vith these and other objects in view, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction and the combination and arrangement of parts as will be more fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings; Figure 1 is a perspective view of a portion of a fence showing my improved stretcher applied thereto and in position for stretching the same; Fig. 2 is a perspective view of one member of my improved stretcher; Fig. 3

is a similar view of the co-acting member thereof gFig. 4 is a central vertical sectional view of the two members of the stretcher showing the same in operative engagement in full lines and in dotted lines illustrating the manner in which the members are separated for engagement with the fence to be stretched; Fig. 5 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the line 55 of Fig. 1.

My improved stretcher comprises fence gripping members 1 and 2 which are adapted to be engaged with the opposite sides of Specification of Letters Patent.

PatentedAug. 12,1913;

Serial no. 761,778.

the fence to be stretched. The member 1 of the stretcher comprises a fiat metal plate 3 having on its outer side a centrally disposed right angular web 1 in which, midway between the ends of the plate is formed a cylindrical apertured boss 6. Secured in the boss 6 is a right angular outwardly projecting stretching lever or fulcrum engaging bar 7' the purpose and operation of which will be hereinafter described.

The upper and lower ends of the plate 3 of the stretching member 1 are bent at right angles to provide upper and lower bearing brackets 8 and-9 in which are formed alined bearing apertures 10 the purpose of which will be hereinafter described. Slidably mounted on the upper bearing bracket 8 is a stopp'late 11 the ends of which are bent downwardly and inwardly to form clips 12 whereby the plate 11 is held in sliding engagement with the bracket 8 and is adapted to be shifted to cover and uncover the bearing aperture 10 in said bracket as clearly indicated in full and dotted lines iii-Fig. 4: of the drawing; The outer end of the bracket 8 is slitted inwardly for a suitable distance adjacent to its side edges and said slitted portions are turned upwardly to form stop lugs 13 which limit the outward movement of the plate 11 and prevent the same from being entirely disengaged from the bracket 8.

The stretching member 2 comprises a fiat plate let which is substantially the same width and length as the plate 3 of the member 1 and which has formed on its outer side a centrally disposed right angular web 15 having near its ends cylindrical apertured bosses 16. Secured in the bosses 16 are upper and lower combined stretching and wire gripping levers 17 which project outwardly for a suitable distance from the member 2 of the stretcher as shown. On the upper and lower ends of the plate 141: of the stretchingmember 2 are bearing studs or pintles 18 which, when the members of the stretcher are connected for operation engage the bearing apertures 10 in the brackets 8 and 9 on the member 1 of the stretcher. The bearing stud or pintle 18 on the upper end of the member 2 is about twice as long as the pintle onthe lower end thereof, while the length of the plate 14- is slightly less than the distance between the inner surfaces of the brackets 8 and 9 so that'when the member 2 is connected with or disconnected from the member 1 the longer stud or pintle 18 on the upper end of the plate 14 of said member 2 is engaged with the aperture in the upper bracket 8 and said member raised until the stud or pintle 18 on the lower end thereof will pass over or above the lower bracket 9. lVhen the member 2 of the stretcher is in this position, said member is moved inwardly toward the member 1 until the stud on the lower end of the plate 14 is in line with the bearing aperture in the lower bracket 9 of the plate 3 whereupon the member 2 is lowered and the stud on the lower end thereof brought into engagement with the bearing aperture in the lower bracket 9 on the member 1. When the stud on the lower end of the member 2 is thus engaged with the aperture in the lower bearing bracket the stud on the upper end of the member 2 will still be in engagement with the aperture in the upper bracket 8 of the member 1 because as hereinbefore described the upper stud 18 is of greater length than the lower stud. After the member 2 has thus been pivotally connected to the member 1 of the stretcher, the stop plate 11 on the upper bracket 8 of the member 1 is slipped inwardly on said bracket and over the bearing aperture therein and above the end of the upper lug 1 and will positively prevent the raising of the member 2 and will obviate any danger of the bearing studs of said member from being disengaged from the bearing apertures of the brackets 8 and 9. \Vhen, however it is desired to disconnect and separate the members 1 and 2 of the stretcher to permit said members to be engaged with the fence to be stretched it is simply necessary to slip the stop plate 11 back from over the bearing aperture in the upper bracket 8 whereupon the member 2 of the stretcher may be lifted and the stud 18 on the lower end thereof disengaged from the bearing aperture in the lower bracket after which the member 2 may be swung outwardly and the stud on the upper end thereof disengaged from the bearing aperture in the upper bracket as clearly indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 4 of the drawmgs.

By constructing the stretcher in detachably connected members as herein shown and described it will be seen that the same may be applied to a fence at any desired place. It will also be seen that when the members of the stretcher are pivotally connected and engaged with the opposite sides of the fence in the manner described and as clearly shown in Fig. l of the drawings, that the fulcrum engaging bar or lever 7 may be engaged with one of the fence posts or with any other stationary object, after which when pressure is applied to the levers 17 of the stretching member 2, said member will first be turned on its pivotal connection with the member 1 and the outer edge of the plate let of said member 2 thus brought into position for gripping or clamping the fence between the same and the adjacent edge of the member 1 or the stretcher whereupon when further pressure is applied to the levers 17 the entire stretcher will be turned or operated on the fulcrum provided by the post or other object with which the fulcrum bar or lever 7 is engaged thereby stretching the fence to the desired extent. In thus operating the device for stretching the fence it will be seen that the gripping action of the members 1 and 2 of the stretcher on the fence will be in proportion to the amount of pressure employed for stretching the same, and that consequently any possibility of a stretcher slipping on the fence will be entirely obviated. It will also be noted that by means of the stretcher constructed in accordance with my invention, the posts to which the fence is to be fastened may be employed as fulcrums with which the device is engaged and that when the last post is reached the fence may be stretched therefrom and fastened thereto thus obviating the necessity of providing an additional fulcrum or bearing for the stretcher at the end of the fence.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction and the combination and arrangement of parts as will be more fully described and claimed.

Various changes in the form, proportion and the minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention as claimed.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. A wire fence stretcher comprising gripping members each consisting of a plate havino' an apertured boss on one face thereof, a dever secured in each of said bosses, bearing brackets at the ends of one of said members, bearing studs on the ends of the other member adapted to be engaged with the apertures in said bearing brackets for pivotally and detachably connecting the members, means for holding said members against accidental disengagement, and means for limiting the outward movement of said securing means.

2. A wire fence stretcher comprising gripping members each having a lever secured to one face thereof, apertured bearing brackets at the ends of one of said members eX tending laterally from said member, bearin studs on the ends of the other member an extending longitudinally therefrom, said stud bearing member being of less length than the other member and one of said studs being longer than the other, and means for holding said members in connected relation.

3. A Wire fence stretcher comprising gripping members each of which consists of vertically disposed plates having on their outer sides right angular outwardly extending webs, apertured bosses formed in said webs, a fulcrum engaging lever secured in the boss of one of said plates, stretching levers secured in the bosses of the other plate, upper and lower apertured bearing brackets formed on the ends of the plates of one of said members, bearing studs formed on the ends of the plate of the opposing member and adapted to be engaged with the apertures in said bearing brackets whereby said members are pivotally and detachably connected and are adapted to be actuated for Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the gripping or clamping a fence, a stop plate slidably mounted on said upper bearing bracket and adapted to be slipped over the bearing aperture therein whereby said members are held against casual disengagement, and stop lugs formed on said upper bracket whereby the outward movement of said stop plate on the bracket is limited.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM A. MEDLIN.

Witnesses:

L. F. CARMICHIEL, N. W. STEWART.

Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

